Edo seals nine Chinese firms over N8.9bn unremitted tax

Edo State Government has sealed up nine Chinese firms operating in Utesi community, Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State, over unremitted tax liability totaling ₦8,982,000,000.00.

The sealed firms are the Rongtai Plastic Company Limited Rongtai Hardware Limited, Rongtai Energy Technology Company Limited, Rongtai Building Materials Company Limited, Rongtai Food Company Limited.

Others are: Five Star Wire and Cable Company, Xin Guo Technology Nig. Ltd, Changrong Wood Nigeria Limited and Shunda Nigeria Enterprise.

A statement by the Edo Internal Revenue Service (EIRS) said the tax liabilities stemmed from the non-compliance of these organizations regarding mandatory tax obligations, specifically: failure to register employees for Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) tax, failure to file Annual Employer's Tax Returns, and failure to deduct and remit PAYE taxes.

It said formal notices detailing the established liabilities were communicated to all nine companies.

"Despite repeated reminders and demands for compliance, the organizations failed to resolve their outstanding obligations, compelling the EIRS to exercise its legal power of distraint to seal off their operational sites via valid Court Orders.

"The enforcement orders will remain in effect, and the seals will only be removed upon settlement of all outstanding tax liabilities by the defaulting companies."